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Anita, is it still bullicante when the bubble of glass is created by a means other than piercing the gather with spikes, either in a pineapple mould or on a flat bed of spikes on the marver? There was a discussion some time ago and how bubbles could be produced by introducing small peas of glass into the gather. When the pea melted, it left a bubble behind. Murano used this technique for some of the bigger bubbles and it looks as if if this ashtray might have used that technique as well. That said, it's definitely Murano and definitely bubbles. Anyone on Murano could have made it, though.

Obviously two schools of thought i was thinking along the same lines as David and pretty sure i read it somewhere . I always keep an open mind as new information comes along all the time ... hence what say others .

David & jp, it is a good question. I have to admit that I have a looser understanding of the term to mean small bubbles that are introduced in a contolled pattern, which the ashtray has. I do not know if bullicante has to be made using a form or if it can be achieved in other ways and still be called bullicante. If something has small bubbles made without a form, would we simply call it a bolle?

I just checked the Losch's site for a bolle and saw the technique was also described as using a metal form to introduce bubbles. www.the-loschs.com/ittec.html The examples they show have loose bubbles, so I guess the appearance of the bubbles depends on the metal form that was used and the follow-up processing of the glass. I don't know. I have never really seen a satisfactory definition of bullicante that differs from a bolle, so I'll have to leave this one to the glass makers.

The Barovier and Toso dictionary has bullicante as a synonym for bolle, so they would seem to be the same. It does looks this ashtray was made with spikes, although they don't look that regular. So it would be bullicante (or bolle). It's a common design; here's one I have.

Just for interest sake I've included a picture of a Murano ashtray where I don't think the bubbles come from spikes.